Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-07
The Railroad Problom.


Tho Railroad Problem.
Ia the following communication A
Farmer accepts our invitation TO discuss
the railroad problem; y
To tie Editor of the Dispatch,
The inter-State commerce bill now be-
fore Congress seems TO be exciting interest
and Attracting attention In many portions
Of the country. I have read your ed'to-
rails In reference 10 II. In one OF your
articles you invite the attention OF farmers
TO IL, with the hope that there Is wisdom
enough In the country to rightly adjust
The relations Of common carriers TO the
people as shippers. The common carriers
aimed at In the bin are the great systems OF
railways whose lines traverse the country
in every direction, and whose owners ana
managers claim not only the right to nx
their freight.rstes, but TO oraain and prac.
tice such determinations In their freight.
rates rs they please. The result IA that
some people secure very low rates OF trans
portation while others are burdened with
very high rates, and this odious aud unjust
discrimination has been carried N such
an extent that the landowners and land
workers Of Virginia and other Atlantic
States are beginning seriously to ask the
question whether they have any rights OF
property Or Of transportation which
railway syndicates and monopolists
are bound 10 respect. The railroads
OF the country In their original In
corporation aud construction were looked
upon as public agencies and for the pro.
motion OF the general good. The original
lines were built mainly by the money OF the
several States and OF the people along their
lines, and with the generally received opin-
ion that when built theirbenetits would be
common 10 oil. The idea that when thus
built these lines were TO be made special
facilities 10 some and odious burdens to
others, destroying property values along
some portions Of their lines and appre-
eating such values along other portions,
was never contemplated. The railroads OF
the country are no longer public agencies for
the promotion OF the general good, but are
run in the personal interest OF the small
class OF adventurous men who by shook or
by crook " have possessed themselves OF
their franchises and are now using these
great arteries Of commercial life for their
own personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The rights
of railroads are 10 receive and transport
persons and property for compensation.
II will not be claimed that they have any
other rights or were created for any other
purpose than Is covered by this definition.
They have no natural rights-only such as
are conferred BY their charters. In the ex-
ercise Of their conferred rights they ought
to be bound by the same legal principles
which regulate and control men IN the use
and enjoyment Of their rights.
One OF the oldest maxims OF the law Is
t" that person must so use his oton as not
to inj,re that of another" The an.
tiquity Of this maxim Is only equaIled
by its sound morality. 1t Is oil
universal application, and II at any time
disregarded by individuals Is always en-
forced by the courts. This maxim has been
utterly ignored and dlsregarded by the
railway systems OF the present day. Il use
the word systems because we have no rail-
roads now they have been severally gob-
bled.up aud combined INTO systems.) The
result Is that the landowners and land.
workers In the Atlantic tier OF States have
been almost entirely ruined by the discrimi-
nations made against them 10 matters OF
transportation by the said systems OF rail-
way. They have deprived the Virginia
landowner and land-worker OF a natural
right which entered very largely into the
value OF land and land-labor-to wit. near
with salubrious and health.inspirine
ness TO market. Virginia, while blessed
climate, has been given comparatively an
unproductiye soil. But her nearness
to market compensated, at least to some
extent, for this sterllity. Her products
Of grain, meat, tobacco, fruit, grass, and
lumber, by reason Of this natural advan.
tage, could be put into market, unless dis
crlminated against at relatively small cost
OF transportation. This right OF nearness
TO market, with the proper) consequent
small charges OF transportation, was
natural right conferred by the "Great
Giver" OF other natural rights, such as air,
water, &C., &c. 1t is right which railway
systems should not be permitted 70 impair
or destroy any more than one man'has the
right to impair or destroy the ancient
lights, or cut off the air, or divert or poi
lutte the water that flows to his neighbor.
The great West has its natural advantage
In the fertility OF its soil, its disadvantage
In ITS remoteness from market. Legally
and morally, the systems OF railway have
the same right to deprive the landowners
and land-workers OF the great West oil the
advantage OF the fertility OF their soil as to
deprive the Virginia landowners and
land-workers OF their advantage OF Dearness
to market.
The fertility and productiveness OF the
soil OF the great West enters into and goes
to make up the money value OF the lands OF
the West, just as the nearness to market OF
Virginia lands enters into and goes to make
mp the money value OF Virginia land.
From this standpoint OF what enters into
end makes up money values let us look at
the effect OF the policy adopted by the rail-
way systems In their charges OF transpor-
tation.
To produce bnshel OF wheat in Virginia
costs sixty cents; 20 produce barrel OF
corn costs 81; to iatten bullock requires
the grazing OF two acres OF land OF the
value OF S25 per acre. In the West wheat
IL produced at cost not exceeding ten
cents busbei, aud corn not exceeding
twenty cents barrel. A bullock, IL not
fattened on the public lands, Is fattened
on land that costs IS The Virginia
grain and bullock has TO be trans.
ported one hundred miles to market.
When they get there they are thrown in
competition with the western grain and
bullock brought by the railways to tie
eastern market q distance OF from 1000 to
1900 miles; not at the same rate OF trans
portation, but at an aggregate freight charge
of little more-if, indeed, any more-than
Is charged upon the Virginia grain aud
bullock. propose to show that this Is
great wrong; that 1t should be corrected;
and that the Reagan bill is wise and Just
legislation, and should be sustained. With
your permission will follow this with one
or two other articles In support OF the
principles Of that bill. A FARMER.
January 0, 1887.